Been a long time since Prince released this huge 3 CD set.

How does everyone feel about it now?

I dig the fact that each disk has 12 tracks and is exactly 60 mins long. Quite a few of the songs breakout into extended jams because of this.

There is a lot more good than bad on these three disks. imo.


Later

liltalkm said:

I did absolutely nothing today but listen to music. I had the day off and pulled out some 90s Prince stuff which is rare because I feel like that stuff is subpar to his 1999-Lovesexy period.

Any way one of discs I listened to was Emancipation...what a bloated mess. P could have pared that things down to about 18 strong songs.

Please no more 3 CD sets how about one strong CD that I can listen to all the way through. It has been so long since I have been able to do that

I always loved this album

i loved the idea, and the album when it first came out..


now.. it sounds and has aged horribly...


i can pick out maybe 4 songs worth listening to..

liltalkm said:

I really dislike that so many of the songs have shit tacked onto the end of them after they're over just to extend each disc to 60 minutes.


This album needs to be cut down to 2 sixty minute discs. or have half of disc 1 replaced with some of the much-better outtakes.

There are several songs on there I really love. It doesn't work that well as an entire set for me, though. And while there are some great things on it, it also has the two songs I despise more than anything Prince has ever done, two songs I consider outright dreck and absolute torture: Let's Have a Baby and Friend, Lover, Mother, Sister/Wife. Also could've done without the remakes. But other than that...

Efan said:

wow, you think those are worse than We Gets Up?

No. 5 on my top 10 albums by Prince of all time. An underrated classic. This experiment was spectacular and those who didn't enjoy it just didn't enjoy the freedom Prince had. Because that was the meaning of Emancipation. Freedom! And if you didn't get it, then you're just a slave in your own right. Free the slave!

LoDog said:

what the fuck does that mean..? I didn't enjoy it because it was some of his most uninspired music to date... especially since he made a big shit party about freedom..

if that's what freedom sounds like.. Get back in your chains.. cause that shit is whacked out..

go find this 3cd set in a bin for less than 6 bucks..
[Edited 7/5/07 22:49pm]

Sdldawn said:

Hater!

I've alwayz loved Emancipation.So many great,great songz!

Raze said:

Oh, God, yes. They're the worst of the worst. Give me We Gets Up, Da, Da, Da, and hell, throw in Jughead and Arms of Orion for good measure, and I'd still take 'em all over those two. I mean, really, they're just vile. Even their titles suck.

Efan said:

Raze said
[/quote]

Sorry, but . For me anyway. But carry on; it's all good.

IMO Emancipation shows that eccentric geniouses like Prince sometimes make stupid decisions.

I mean, the songwriting on a lot of songs (yes, a lot!, not a few) is among his best since Sign of the Times.

The problem is he choose Kirky Johnson to ruin some of these songs with his lousy, plastic production. And 3 CD's of new material is of course way too long, an overindulgence.

On the other hand, i still think that if Prince had trimmed down the material to a single CD, only leaving the best tracks on it, it would have probably been his best album since Sign of the Times / Lovesexy.

I listen more to the outtakes compilation "Emancipation - The Secret Chapter" than the actual album...

Yeah...since I don't have Emancipation, I checked it out from the library this week, and I don't like many of the songs. I think many of them didn't need to be included.

Riverpoet31 said:

I'd defintely go along with this. If Prince had trimmed this down to a 2 CD album then it would have been very good, and a 1 CD album then it would have been up there with his absolute best. Less is sometimes more. I'm currently just listening to the second CD of this album now, and I'm getting into some songs on it that I was never really into before.

A question though, I read on Wikipedia that there is a relationship between this album and the Egyptian Pyramids, can anyone explain this? Also, is there anywhere which explains all of the photos to the booklet. Cheers

liltalkm said:

's how I feel.

i used to hate this album but over the years i came 2 appreciate it
offcourse a 2 disc set would've made it a better project but compile your favourites and enjoy the music, i would say
a lot of great, funky and adventurous stuff on it!!
one of his best...

This album is just ok. It has songs on it which swing a little on the first disc, slow jams on the second, and hip hop and dance a bit on the third. The problem is that too many of the tracks have a lack of 'visceral pull'. They float about in the ether in a jazz lite way and don't ever reach out and grab you by the balls like the best prince tracks.

i absolutely love this album. the songs that really get me going are:

jam of the year
get yo groove on
courtin time
soul sanctury
dreamin about you
holy river
face down
la la la means i love you
sleep around
one of us

i think that 'soul sanctury', 'dreamin about you', 'holy river' and 'one of us' are beutiful songs and 'jam of the year' reminds me of the energy on the tour in 1998.

Love me some Emancipation!! I honestly do not care what other people think about this cd, it is tops on my list!!

Smillan said:

the pyramid thing was about 3 discs, 12 songs each, 60 minutes, blah blah blah.

I LOVE EMANCIPATION..what other artist in popular music couLd release a truly briliant pop statement over 37 tracks...diverse, visionary and extroadinary Emancipation is his greatest achivement since Sign O the times...

This record should be applauded more than it is debunked...i really can not understand fans attitude towards this! Plastic production my hole...

He had the balls to release this in an environment where he was critically and monetarilly dead!

too many tracks boo hoo...blah blah! the guy could drop dead next week and you'd be glad he made it a triple album!!

This record shits, yes shits over everything the little dude made in the 90s with the possible except5ion of the Truth.....

Sorry but there you go...

I really love the second Emancipation disc.

I was excited by the concept in 96 cuz it was like a fuck you to Warners but at the same time I was mortified that Prince had recorded and released not one but 4 cover versions on the album! When I heard Prince sing someone else's song on record he had lost something for me and I realised he would never be the same again.

I can't bring myself to listen to any of the songs that deal or are about his child.

Best trax:
Curious Child
Dreamin About U
Emale
The Holy River
Somebody's Somebody
My Computer
New World
Slave
The Love We Make
Style
Sleep Around

Wow what an album that would be!!
I see a home made compilation coming hehehe
[Edited 7/7/07 4:16am]

I've always loved this CD, tonight I played whit mansion over ad over again, such a nice song!

tonight i played

jam of the year
courtin love
getcha groove on
one of us (x2)
face down
the love we make (x3)
[Edited 7/7/07 19:25pm]

Me likey Emancipation somewhat but even at 36 songs Prince spreads himself way too thin. The original "The Dance" sounds like most of these songs -- great vocals, lyrics but plastic production. Take a look at how Prince finished "The Dance" on 3121... now it's a great song. The problem is in the plastic production of these Emancipation songs.

However, Disc 3 is pretty tight -- only one bad song, Da Da Da. My Computer is the shit!

The worst disc is Disc 1. Get Yo Groove On, We Gets Up, wow what lame ass r&b music.